The FAR Museo Studio del Tessuto was officially founded in 1998 as the effort of Antonio Ratti, who meant to open his ancient textile collection to a broader audience. This is the final outcome of a collection, preservation and archive work process that started with personal and professional purposes and climaxed in the awareness of the public value of the collection. The first significant step along this process took place in 1985 with the opening of the Textile exhibit or Textiletheque, a term chosen to identify the array of ancient textiles purchased by Antonio Ratti and housed at the company he himself founded. In 1993 the FAR became the recipient of all collections, the necessary process to “ensure the preservation in time of the Collection, given its outstanding importance and value”, to quote the very articles of incorporation of the Foundation. This testifies how the collector was gradually transforming his enterpreneurial interest for ancient textiles in a will to divulgate a legacy of a known historical worth. A turning point in this process of awareness is the research and archive campaign, started in the Eighties, that involved major textile history scholars. With the handing over of the collections to the FAR, a ground for better access to a broader audience was laid, namely, the creative people and the clients of Ratti, or those Antonio Ratti was kind enough to show his collections to. In 1995 the computerized archive project for the collection was initiated and officially opened in 1998; this is considered the official opening day of the museum to the public. That particular day Antonio Ratti stated: "In my life I always found great hints for creativity in museums. I whish for others to be able to follow my lead".